tick

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈtik 

1

a

: a light rhythmic audible tap or beat

also : a series of such ticks

b

: the time taken by the tick of a clock : moment

2

: a small spot or mark

especially : one used to direct attention to something, to check an item on a list, or to represent a point on a scale

3

a

finance : the minimum amount by which the price of a security can move upward or downward

The minimum price fluctuation is called a "tick."

—Gerald Warfield

also : a stock market transaction at a price above or below the last previous transaction in the same security or the change in price that such a transaction represents

an upward/downward tick

The telegraph, and then the stock ticker, provided a number of advantages … . The ticker was named for its characteristic sound when printing; to this day, any movement of a stock's price is called a "tick."

—Joe Janes

Note that I assume none of you plan to spend your golden years watching the market tick by tick and jumping in and out of stocks.

—Barry Ritholtz

b

: a small amount

… Wednesday's fifth episode drew 12.3 same-day million viewers, up a tick from the previous week's 12.2 million.

—Gary Levin

see also downtick, uptick

tick

2 of 5

verb

ticked; ticking; ticks

intransitive verb

1

: to make the sound of a tick or a series of ticks

2

: to operate as a functioning mechanism : run

tried to understand what made him tick

the motor was ticking over quietly

transitive verb

1

: to mark with a written tick : check

—usually used with off

ticked off each item in the list

2

: to mark, count, or announce by or as if by ticking beats

a meter ticking off the cab fare

3

: to touch with a momentary glancing blow

ticked the ball

tick

3 of 5

noun (2)

1

: any of a superfamily (Ixodoidea) of bloodsucking acarid arachnids that are larger than the related mites, attach themselves to warm-blooded vertebrates to feed, and include important vectors of infectious diseases

2

: any of various usually wingless parasitic dipteran flies compare sheep ked

Illustration of tick

• tick 1

tick

4 of 5

noun (3)

1

: the fabric case of a mattress, pillow, or bolster

also : a mattress consisting of a tick and its filling

2

: ticking entry 1

tick

5 of 5

noun (4)

chiefly British

: credit, trust

also : a credit account

Synonyms

Verb

• detail
• enumerate
• itemize
• list
• numerate
• recite
• reel off
• rehearse

Examples of tick in a Sentence

Verb

I could hear the clock tick.

His old heart is still ticking.

Tick the box next to your choice.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Harrison evolved during his rookie year by altering his pitch mix as the season went along (fewer fastballs, more secondaries), but an extra tick on his fastball would be invaluable to his effectiveness as a starter. —Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2025

Trump has changed his tune on Vladimir Putin as the clock ticks on his vow to stop the costly war between Russia and Ukraine. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 5 Feb. 2025

Verb

Upon its conclusion, the clock started ticking as Knight already had a pre-existing commitment to actively produce his Peaky Blinders film alongside director Tom Harper. —Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2025

In 2012, a massive new clock began ticking on the facade of Lambeau Field. —Brian Hamilton, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English tek pat, light stroke; akin to Middle High German zic light push

Noun (2)

Middle English tyke, teke; akin to Middle High German zeche tick, Armenian tiz

Noun (3)

Middle English tike, probably from Middle Dutch (akin to Old High German ziahha tick), from Latin theca cover, from Greek thēkē case; akin to Greek tithenai to place — more at do

Noun (4)

short for ticket entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1680, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1721, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (4)

1642, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tick

• American dog tick
• black-legged tick
• brown dog tick
• cattle tick
• deer tick
• dog tick
• lone star tick
• on tick
• seed tick
• tick away/by/past
• tick-borne
• tick fever
• tick off
• tick over
• tick-tack-toe
• tick trefoil
• what makes (someone) tick
• wood tick

Kids Definition

tick

1 of 5 noun

ˈtik 

: any of numerous bloodsucking invertebrates that are arachnids larger than the related mites, attach themselves to warm-blooded animals to feed, and include important carriers of infectious diseases

tick

2 of 5 noun

1

: the fabric case of a mattress, pillow, or cushion

2

: ticking

tick

3 of 5 noun

1

: a light rhythmic tap or beat

the tick of a clock

2

: a small mark used to direct attention to something or to check an item on a list

tick

4 of 5 verb

1

a

: to make the sound of a tick or a series of ticks

b

: to mark, count, or announce by or as if by ticking beats

2

: to work at a regular or proper pace : run

3

: to mark with a written tick : check

tick

5 of 5 noun

: credit entry 1 sense 3a, trust

bought on tick

Etymology

Noun

Middle English tyke, teke "tick"

Noun

Middle English tike "a fabric case for a mattress"; probably of Dutch origin

Noun

Middle English tek "a rhythmic tap or beat"

Noun

a shortened form of ticket "a slip recording a business deal"

Medical Definition

tick

noun

ˈtik 

1

: any of numerous bloodsucking arachnids that constitute the acarine superfamily Ixodoidea, are much larger than the closely related mites, attach themselves to warm-blooded vertebrates to feed, include important vectors of various infectious diseases of humans and lower animals, and although the immature larva has but six legs, may be readily distinguished from an insect by the complete lack of external segmentation

2

: any of various usually wingless parasitic dipteran flies (as the sheep ked)